… The psychodelic box artwork for Tim Schafer’s crazed platformer, Psychonauts from last-gen (PS2, Xbox).
In fact, my most played system as of late has been my Nintendo 3DS, and that’s simply because it is the easiest system to play when I’m sitting on the throne…. And cause I’m a hardcore Nintendo fanboy to boot.
So I thought it would be fun to go through some of the games I’d LOVE to play and still plan on playing someday, but never have up to this point and why I want to play them. Maybe I’ll get to them at some point, and hopefully soon; but maybe not. We’ll see. Enjoy.
EPISODE #3 – PSYCHONAUTS
Released: 2005
System: Xbox1, PS2, PC
Re-Released: Xbox 360 (As Xbox Original), Steam (PC, Mac), GOG (PC), GameTap (PC w/subscription)
Genre: Platformer
Developed By: Double Fine
Publisher: Majesco
Creator: Tim Schafer
Is There A Digital Version?: Yes (Steam, GOG, GameTap)
Pyschonauts is a beloved, critically acclaimed cult-classic platformer that was originally released in 2005 for PS2, original Xbox and PC. The game was developed by Tim Schafer, the mind behind many great, classic PC adventure games (Grim Fandango, Full Throttle) and more recent hits like Brutal Legend. As well as recent, great downloadable titles like Stacking, Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster and Kinect’s Double Fine Action Theater. Tim and his company, Double Fine, also recently earned over $3 million dollars on Kickstarter in order to create a modern-day Adventure game like the classic Tim Schafer adventure games of old, and that was and remains one of the highest earning Kickstarter projects ever.
Doors, doors everywhere! Inside the psyche offers interesting environments.
Enter: Pyshconauts. It was a complete departure for the developer back in 2005 because they sought to create a unique and interesting platformer of very high-quality. I have read many times about the game and thought about buying it even more times than that. I think I do own the Steam version, but I never got around to playing it on the original Xbox like I always wanted to.
And sadly, many people share the same experience as me, having “not gotten around” to playing this critical darling. The game’s iconic artwork always called out to me, and even if you haven’t played it you probably recognize the psychedelic box art with the crazy-looking kid on the cover… a cover you skipped by many-a-time. You may have even picked the box up and looked at the back… before setting it back down and buying something else. FOR SHAME!
Sadly, Psychonauts was a huge disappointment and failure commercially, a trend that Tim Schafer knows all-too-well (even the big-budget, Jack Black-infused Brutal Legend failed to sell as much as was expected).
Psychonauts impressed many and received rave reviews upon release in 2005.
This is a sad statement because, according to everything I’ve heard, Phsychonauts is an incredible game. And the game recieved amazing review scores upon its debut. Psychonauts is a platformer where you enter into very unique worlds developed from a person’s physche, thus the title of the game. Or something like that, having not played it I don’t quite understand, but it’s enough to intrigue anyone reading up on the game.
Many people swear by Pyschonauts and claim it is one of the best games ever made, and one of the most unique, high-quality platformers of all time. That’s a pretty bold statement. But hopefully I’ll decide to pop this game in sometime soon and see what all the fuss is about. I love me some platformers and count platform games as among my favorite genres (others being Action Adventure and Survival Horror). So I am SURE that I’d love Pyschonauts. I also have NEVER played a Tim Schafer game before. I know I know, I’m an eternal sad panda.
Here is a trailer for Pyschonauts, one I won’t watch due to spoilers… I still wanna play this game. (natch)
Psychonauts is one of those games from last-gen that made waves and consistently tops “best of” and “must play” lists, along with criminally underplayed titles like Michael Ancel’s Beyond Good & Evil (published by Ubisoft)…. another game I’ve yet to play all the way through. But hey at least I played it! I got stuck though… about time I give it another shot!
Maybe that’ll be my next “On the Cutting Room Floor” entry….
Previous Episodes of “On the Cutting Room Floor”:
* On the Cutting Room Floor Episode 2 – Silent Hill 3
* Episode 1 – On the Cutting Room Floor: Games I’ve Yet to Play – EarthBound
